FAQ

This is a critical question to get clear in your mind, because Pharmacology and Pharmacy lead to quite different careers. Pharmacology is the scientific study of drugs and how they work in the body. It can be subdivided into pharmacodynamics (i.e. what drugs do to the body) and pharmacokinetics (i.e. what the body does to the drugs - including absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion). Pharmacy is a quite different area of study involving the scientific, legal and managerial aspects of dispensing medicines. The main responsibility of the pharmacist is to provide safe and effective use of medication for the patient. Pharmacists require a license in order to practise. A degree in pharmacology does not qualify you to practise pharmacy.

To become a licensed pharmacist in Canada, please access the Canadian Faculties and Schools in Pharmacy

No, but it helps. A sizeable minority of our incoming students have not taken any pharmacology courses before entering our graduate training program. Such students take six credits of 500-level pharmacology courses in their first year (i.e. about 80 classroom hours spread over two semesters) in addition to other required courses. This tends to create a heavier course load in the first year, but it is manageable.

All applications are done online through the UApply system. All of your required documents will be uploaded directly to your application. A checklist of required documents will appear when you submit your application. You will be responsible for uploading your transcripts, personal statement and CV. Your referees will be responsible for uploading their letters to your application. All test scores (mandatory for all applicants who have studies outside of North America) should be sent to McGill using the institute code of 0935. For more information and the link to apply, visit the Future Graduate Students page 

We require two confidential letters of recommendation from referees.  Referees should be professors or research-related employers. At least one referee should be an academic known to the international scientific community. McGill no longer required hardcopy letters. Your referees will receive an automatic email from McGill requesting that they upload their letters directly to your application. There is no "standard form" but we would prefer that the letter be dated and on letterhead with a signature. Email addresses of your referees should be from institutions or corporations (i.e. @mcgill.ca; @concordia.ca, etc.) we will not accept referees with email addresses from Gmail, Hotmail, yahoo, etc.

TOEFL or IELTS and the GRE (General Test) are mandatory for all applicants who have completed their studies outside of North America. Exemptions for the TOEFL or IELTS can be made if proof is submitted that the language of study at your institution was English. Test Scores: Internet based test (IBT) TOEFL: a minimum overall score of 86 with each component score not less than 20. Note: the TOEFL Institution Code for McGill University is 0935.  IELTS - A minimum overall band score of 6.5. Although we do not have a “minimum” requirement for the GRE, we like to see scores of at least 150 for Quantitative and 154 for Verbal.

The absolute minimum GPA required by Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies is an average of 3.2 over the last two years of undergraduate study or an all-years cumulative GPA of 3.0/4.0.  Excellent grades in biomedical subjects are particularly important.  80% of students accepted to our departmental program enter with a CGPA of 3.4 or above. 

Not necessarily. The first step in the admission process is normally to seek acceptance into the departmental graduate program, and then if conditionally accepted, to seek a supervisor. However, if you have a special interest in a few professors, please feel free to contact them before formally applying to the program. It is generally not a good strategy to approach more than a few professors in this way. If and when you are conditionally accepted into the graduate program, you should seek a supervisor without delay; the later you leave it, the less chance of securing your first-choice supervisor.

Professors who are not taking students will usually state this on their individual web pages; Pharmacology Faculty and Staff

Once your application is complete, it is reviewed by the Graduate Training Committee. The criteria are academic grades, research experience, letter of reference and performance in interviews.  Although not essential, we especially value previous research experience (e.g. summer work or project courses - note that standard technique-orientated lab training courses are of much less interest). Although we expect our students to be academically strong, we also know that academic excellence does not necessarily translate into research excellence; successful scientists tend to be highly inquisitive, patient, self-motivated and hard-working. 

Yes, we offer training towards MSc and PhD. Most successful BSc applicants are admitted into the MSc stream, even if a PhD degree is their ultimate objective. MSc students are expected to complete their degree in 3 years. PhD students are expected to complete their degree in 5 years.

Towards the end of the first academic year, all first-year graduate students are evaluated and many are offered "fast-tracking", i.e. promotion to the PhD stream. This promotion is offered to those with a CGPA of 3.5/4.00 and the ability to show strong research work. Those who make this transition do not obtain an MSc but instead use their first-year lab work towards their PhD. Other students remain at the MSc level, and some of these may be offered the possibility of re-applying for the PhD stream at a later date.

This depends on who you are. We are starting to admit a few outstanding BSc applicants directly to the PhD stream; such individuals tend to have a high cGPA (>3.7 out of 4), strong test scores (required for International applicants), and significant research experience. Students already possessing a M.Sc. in a related subject, or those with an M.D. degree, may be admitted directly into the Ph.D. program, upon approval by the Graduate Training Committee.

The number of students admitted to our program varies from year to year depending on the funding situations and space in the labs of the supervisors. Not everybody manages to find a supervisor in their desired area of research, so it is a very good idea to apply for admission early (e.g. in January if you intend to start graduate studies in September).  If conditionally accepted, you should seek a supervisor without delay.

Most students do not have a scholarship when they enter the program, in which case the supervisor is obliged to pay a stipend, usually from his or her research grant. Our department guarantees a minimum annual stipend of $22,000. Once in the program, students are obliged to apply for all possible sources of funding, and we provide information about this.

Our graduates hold appointments at biotechnology companies, pharmaceutical companies, research institutes, research universities and government agencies.